Using The Fellowship with the updated rules

Damian · **Joined:** Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:59 pm **Posts:** 246

Hello Everyone.

The Fellowship of The Ring is one of the most iconic groups of characters in fantasy literature, but how many times do we SBG players actually use them for a pick-up game? Probably not a lot.
Under the LoME rules and scenarios they were at a disadvantage, swamped my sheer numbers in scenarios that didn't suit them. I think things changed a bit with the Warbands system and new scenarios. I've had a few really good games with them at 750 points and now that 'Reconnoitre' has been FAQd I don't think even that scenario is an auto-lose for them. I think if you have sufficient terrain (and the sourcebooks recommend 33 to 50% coverage) small groups of heroes on foot can avoid being run down by cavalry or over-run by hordes of infantry. Obviously on an open plain things would be different.......

The new SBG rules bring new abilities for heroes, new rules for wargear (including The Ring) and probably a higher proportion of monsters turning up in pick-up games, all of which should play into the hands of The Fellowship. What do you guys think? Are any of you looking at these new rules and thinking about giving an iconic group of heroes a run out?

Recently I used;
Gandalf The Grey, Aragorn (Bow and Armour), Boromir of Gondor, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin. 750 points.

I'd quite like to try;
Gandalf the Grey, Aragorn (Bow), Boromir of Gondor, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo (Sting and Mithril Coat), Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gwaihir and Great Eagle. 1000 points with some (vaguely thematic) monstery goodness.

WhoelsebutHaldir · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:15 pm

Ide drop some of the hobbits to upgrade boromir to captain of the white tower because he is so much better, but most importantly has will to negate enemy nazgul. But I have to agree with you a fellowship army does seen more plausible and effective now.

WhoelsebutHaldir · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:15 pm

Ide drop some of the hobbits to upgrade boromir to captain of the white tower because he is so much better, but most importantly has will to negate enemy nazgul. But I have to agree with you a fellowship army does seen more plausible and effective now.

WhoelsebutHaldir · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:16 pm

Oops my bad...

DavFlamerock · **Joined:** Wed May 30, 2012 5:08 pm **Posts:** 13

I don't think you can use White Tower Boromir as part of the Fellowship (though I suppose you could just call him an allied-in character). Also, it's actually important to include at least Merry & Pippin because they're cheap and add to your break count--so long as you can keep them protected, you can force your opponent to kill another of your combat heroes before your force breaks.

In regards to OP, I think the Fellowship should be better, now that they have more Heroic actions (and honestly I don't think you can field the Fellowship without Strider or at least Boromir). I'd test it out, but I bet in decently small games (500-750) you can be competitive with them. Once you hit 1000 points, though, unless you're allying in some numbers I can't see how you could avoid getting overrun.

Damian · **Joined:** Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:59 pm **Posts:** 246

The Fellowship don't take courage tests for being broken while Frodo is alive, which is a nice bonus.

The hobbits can be cruelly used as a roadblock, missile shield and most usefully (but harder to pull off) is to charge them into something you want pinned in place to set them up to be charged in a Heroic Combat. Hero slingshots can be game changers.

At 1000 points I think you really have to start allying stuff in, because the cost of the models with all the upgrades gets silly, but there are plenty of thematic ways to do that if you pick various parts of The Fellowship on their journey. You could take Gandalf out and add some Galadhrim for a post-moria feel or take Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Gandalf the White and Treebeard, maybe Erky, Theoden, Merry and Pippin for a Two Towers theme. Lots of options, but I went with Eagles because I was imagining The Fellowship leaving Rivendell heading for the mountains with Gwaihir keeping a watchful eye high overhead, he has a habit of getting Gandalf out of a tricky situation...... plus I'd get to use the new monster rules.

Constantine · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2012 8:04 pm

Nope Boromir Captain of the White Tower cannot be included in the fellowship warband. You can also add Billy the ponny

ElfLover · **Posted:** Thu Dec 13, 2012 8:15 am

I hardly ever use them together but 1 or 2 individually as heroes leading different armies full of soldiers

Galanur · **Joined:** Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:28 am **Posts:** 1389

Fellowship, just like group of heroes are hard to handle, unlike random armies, they are expensive and the problem of them is that being so few, the enemy will start targetting them 1 by 1, starting by the weakers of the group, neutralizing or tieing up the stronger ones with cannon fodder.
The fellowship problem starts with the hobbits with the exception of frodo.
If you wanted a better " fellowship" version of an army to go, I would field the white counsil instead, there all basically around the same stats and weaknesses, but also there alot more magical, proving a far more threatning army both from range/magic and close combat

Only a fellowship gets good with warriors inside, using the warriors as shieldwall and tieing up enemies while the heroes take on particular targets.

Using The Fellowship with the updated rules

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